your health after 40
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You feel younger and you look younger than most women your age, but you cannot lie to your body. It has been with your for five decades and you have to take good care of it.
As time passes, many are the changes that occur in our bodies that we need to be aware of. The good news is that with the right diet, exercise, regular visits to the doctor, and an understanding of the transformations in your body, you can keep looking and feeling great for years to come!
Your diet in your 40s
Something to be very aware of is that a woman over 40 who is approaching menopause sees her estrogen levels decrease, causing her metabolism to slow down and her appetite to increase.
These changes in body chemistry, metabolism, and hormone levels related to menopause can cause an uncontrollable weight gain, even in women who never had weight issues before.
The only way to control this is to maintain a regular exercise program and a healthy diet.
Vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy products should be the basis of your diet. You will feel better and your wallet will suffer less than when you stuff your trolley with junk food!
Avoid sugar, saturated fats, salt, and alcohol and drink loads of water: at least 6-8 glasses a day.
If you follow healthy nutrition habits, then you won’t need to put yourself through crazy diets that only unbalance and weaken your organism.
Read our diet tips to lose weight easily as a forty-something.
Exercise after forty
One of the great things about being a forty-something woman is that you have learned to love the shape of your body and feel happier with it. One of the reasons is because you stop comparing yourself with other women.
But this is should not turn you into a complacent person. After forty, our bodies are indeed changing: muscle mass decreases and the bones start to become weaker, so if you used to exercise only to look good, now you should also do it to stay healthy.
Make sure you include a regular exercise routine in your schedule.
Life can be hectic between work and family and “me-time” might be scarce, but give yourself 45 minutes 3-4 times per week to work out. If you are not the gym type of person, at least try to go for a jog or fast walk in your neighborhood. Yoga and Pilates are great at this age as they are not strenuous, do not take much of your time, and give great and fast results.
Visiting your doctor as a forty-something
Once you reach forty your body starts going through hormonal changes associated with menopause and not long after your blow those 40 candles on the cake it is a good idea to visit your doctor for some important medical tests that will help you stay in good health.
If you have not been taking a Pap smear test every year so far, this is the time to start for sure and make sure you also have a Mammogram. Yes, it’s not comfortable, but it’s the best way these days (other than daily personal check-ups) to determine any abnormalities.
Also, consider visiting your dentist a couple of times per year and checking your vision every two years.